Austria Plans Nationwide Payment Card System for Asylum Seekers

• Austria’s Ministry of the Interior is planning to introduce a nationwide payment card system for asylum seekers after a successful pilot program in Upper Austria.
• The public tender for the project is expected to be announced in October, with the aim of rolling out the cards across the country by next year.
• The system is designed to provide cashless access to basic services for asylum seekers, with restrictions to prevent misuse, such as blocking certain services and preventing foreign transfers.

Vienna, August 20 (FFN) – Austria’s Ministry of the Interior is moving forward with plans to implement a nationwide payment card system for asylum seekers following a successful trial. The project, which is expected to be rolled out across the country by next year, aims to modernize the way basic services are provided to asylum seekers by shifting from cash to a cashless payment card system.

The pilot program, which began in the Steyr district of Upper Austria, involved 130 cards and yielded positive results, according to Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner. The cards allow asylum seekers to access basic necessities without cash, with a monthly withdrawal limit of 40 euros from ATMs. The card is designed to be used in a wide range of stores, but is restricted from certain services, such as betting shops, and cannot be used for international money transfers.

Minister Karner highlighted that the card system would prevent cash payments to human traffickers and reduce the flow of large sums of money to the refugees’ home countries. Additionally, he noted that the card would be issued personally to every refugee aged 14 and above, preventing the concentration of money in the hands of a single family member.

Key Details of the Payment Card System